First Look: Ed Brown K1 Field Knife

With more than 50 years experience in building high-end 1911 pistols for personal-defense use, Ed Brown Products entered a new market with the launch of its K1 Field Knife, a fixed-blade design built with a team of craftsmen at Winkler Knives and designed by master knifemaker Jason Knight.

“It just doesn’t get any better than this—having a master bladesmith like Jason design our first knife," said John May, Ed Brown Products sales and marketing director. "It has been an honor to work with him, and we look forward to teaming up with him on more projects in the future.

Designed for use outdoors or for more-tactical applications, the Ed Brown K1 Field Knife takes cues from the company's extensive experience in building 1911 handguns. Specifically, Knight borrowed elements from popular Ed Brown models, like the Snakeskin and the Kobra Carry. The blade even incorporates the characteristic skeletonized hammer found on many Ed Brown 1911s.

Each K1 Field Knife is built with an 80CrV2 carbon-steel blade, which is paired up with handles made from sculpted Micarta. The handles are where one element of the knife's 1911-inspired design is evident, since the texturing matches the Snakeskin scallops found on the company's handgun. The blade is hand-ground and sharpened and features a black-oxide finish designed to ward off corrosion. The company recommends keeping the blade edge oiled to protect the exposed steel from the elements.

Jason Knight, the knife's designer, is recognizable through his two-season stint as a judge on the popular History Channel show "Forged in Fire." His designs are known for standing up to heavy-duty use, and the overall construction and finish of his blades are built for practical purposes. Along with Knight, Ed Brown collaborated with Winkler Knives, a manufacturer known for its practice in producing high-performance blades. The company got its start by addressing requests from special-forces units who required specialized tools for breaching.

The Ed Brown K1 Field Knife ships with a handmade Kydex sheath that includes a belt clip for easy carry. The overall length of the blade measures 4.625 inches, while blade thickness is .205 inch. In total, the knife measures 9.5 inches long. The suggested retail price on the package is $395.